Franco-German Treaty, from the Holidays series (N80) for Duke brand cigarettes 1890

Curator: What a curious little card! The "Franco-German Treaty" is from the Holidays series, made around 1890 by W. Duke, Sons & Co. to promote their Duke brand cigarettes. You can find it here at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Editor: My initial reaction is how delicate the line work is; such gentle application of colour and fine rendering gives a dreamlike quality. The pastel hues, combined with the softness of the figure, create a truly ethereal experience, almost as if from another world. Curator: Indeed, it's an interesting use of symbolism within a commercial context. Consider the idealized allegorical figure of peace, positioned above the crests. The imagery serves as an optimistic promotion of harmony at a time when Franco-German relations were, let's say, historically strained! Editor: Absolutely, and let’s unpack the semiotics of the figure’s pose. Notice how she leans upon the shield uniting the crests? This elegant contortion conveys stability, yet also hints at an underlying tension, don't you think? The draping fabric itself provides rhythm as it falls. Curator: Certainly. Tobacco companies frequently tapped into national pride and political aspirations to sell their products. This image participates in that tradition, appropriating imagery from high art and diplomatic events for mass consumption. These cards would have been included in cigarette packs. They functioned as advertising but also as collectables. Editor: Right, its Art Nouveau leanings really come through, blending commercial purpose with fine artistry; it seems almost incongruous to attach such elegant pictorialism to cigarettes. The work operates with soft colours that provide it with beauty that transcends advertising alone. Curator: Incongruous, perhaps, to our modern eyes. But that contrast is exactly what makes this a fascinating object for cultural study. These cards offer us a glimpse into the intertwined worlds of commerce, art, and national identity at the close of the 19th century. Editor: It highlights the power of formal analysis in extracting a reading from a visually appealing artifact, thereby enhancing and enabling the viewer to understand a cultural and historical position in totality.